Missile instrumentation protection means



p 1964 R. s CHAMBERLIN 3,149,569

MISSILE INSTRUMENTATION PROTECTION MEANS Filed Oct. 16, 1963 F 24 5 l6 il4 12 Robert S. CWvninerlin, I I ffs VENTOR.

I yx iii-4;,,, Bvf a I United States Patent $149569 MISSILEINSTRUMENTATION PROTECTION MEANS Robert S. Chamberiin, Las Cruces, N.Mex, assignor to the United States of America as represented by theSecretary of the Army Filed Get. 16, 1963, Ser- No. 316,7551 2 Claims.((Zl. 1292.5) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) Theinvention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for theGovernment for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltythereon.

This invention relates to the protection of instrumentation and moreparticularly to instrumentation protection in missiles during flight andimpact.

In order to retain the instrumentations intact during missile flight andimpact, such instrumentation and its supports must be designed towithstand enormous ac celeration and deceleration forces. The size,weight and shape of the instrumentation housing and the method by whichthe housing is held within the missile must be efficiently designed.

It is known that elements of equal weight are decelerated in a similarmanner upon impact with the earth and that heavier elements decelerateover a longer period of time (greater distance) hence the rate ofdeceleration of heavier elements upon impact with the earth is less thanthe deceleration of lighter elements.

Also, under rapid acceleration during missile take-off and flight, greatforces are exerted upon the relatively heavy instrumentation housingwithin the missile. It is extremely important therefore that theinstrumentation housing be securely mounted to the missile wall. This isespecially critical when large, heavy housings are utilized, since theforce of acceleration on such housings is proportional to their weight.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a heavyinstrumentation housing designed to minimize deceleration forces on theinstruments therein upon impact with the earth.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mounting forheavy instrumentation housings which applies a pull rather than a pushto the housing during acceleration of the missile.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device forinstrumentation protection that is simple and economical inconstruction.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be readilyunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a partly cut-away view of the instrumentation housing ofthe present invention mounted in the forward portion of a missile; and

FIGURE 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the instrumentationhousing shown in FIGURE 1.

An instrumentation housing 10, shown in FIGURE 1, is mounted in theforward portion of a missile 12. The mounting of housing is provided bytwo annular flanges 3,149,569 Patented Sept. 22., 1964 14 supportinghousing 10 to missile 12. Additional support for housing 10 is providedby a rod 16 projecting forward from and attached to the forward end ofhousing it). The distal end 18 of rod 16 is threadably secured to atruncated cone shaped element 20 by a nut 22. Element 20 is restrainedby a third annular flange 24 disposed on the forward portion of themissile as shown in FIGURE 1.

Since housing 10 is considerably heavier than element 20 the inertialforce during acceleration will be much greater on the heavier housing10. This force will be transmitted through rod 16 and housing 10 will beprimarily supported by element 20 and flange 24 by a pull on housing 10during acceleration of missile 12.

An enlarged view of housing 10 is shown in FIGURE 2. Housing 10comprises a rectangular center section 30 having an aperture 32 thereinfor containing the instruments 34. A pair of U-shaped portions 36 and 38are rigidly aflixed to the opposing sides 41) and 42 respectively ofsection 30 to provide additional protection for instruments 34.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. While the foregoing is adescription of the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to beunderstood that various modifications and uses thereof may be resortedto that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a missile disposed for high accelerations and provided withinstruments for recovery after impact, an impact protection devicecomprising: a heavy housing secured to said missile and disposed forsupport therein of said instruments; mounting means disposed forsecuring said housing in biased relation with said missile including apair of annular flanges supporting said housing to the missile wall, arod projecting forward from said housing, a truncated cone sectionsecured to the forward portion of said missile and provided with anaperture therethrough disposed for receiving the distal end of said rod,a third annular flange carried in the forward portion of said missileand disposed for support of said cone section, and a nut threadablyengaging said distal end of said rod for securing said rod and said conesection in tensile relation against said third flange.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises:a heavy generally rectangular center section, said center sectionincluding an aperture therethrough disposed for mounting saidinstruments therein; a pair of U-shaped flanges secured to opposingsides of said rectangular center section for retention of saidinstruments in said aperture and for further instrument protection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS365,456 Young June 28, 1887 384,646 Smith June 19, 1888 3,031,154Roberson et al Apr. 24, 1962

1. IN A MISSILE DISPOSED FOR HIGH ACCELERATIONS AND PROVIDED WITHINSTRUMENTS FOR RECOVERY AFTER IMPACT, AN IMPACT PROTECTION DEVICECOMPRISING: A HEAVY HOUSING SECURED TO SAID MISSILE AND DISPOSED FORSUPPORT THEREIN OF SAID INSTRUMENTS; MOUNTING MEANS DISPOSED FORSECURING SAID HOUSING IN BIASED RELATION WITH SAID MISSILE INCLUDING APAIR OF ANNULAR FLANGES SUPPORTING SAID HOUSING TO THE MISSILE WALL, AROD PROJECTING FORWARD FROM SAID HOUSING A TRUNCATED CONE SECTIONSECURED TO THE FORWARD PORTION OF SAID MISSILE AND PROVIDED WITH ANAPERTURE THERETHROUGH DISPOSED FOR RECEIVING THE DISTAL END OF SAID ROD,A THIRD ANNULAR FLANGE CARRIED IN THE FORWARD PORTION OF